1) Field of the Invention
This application generally discloses a method of accessing information and, more particularly, a computer-implemented method of accessing and exchanging information among otherwise incompatible platforms.
2) Background
Computer software has typically been operable on only the specific platform for which the software was created. For example, software developed for an Apple Macintosh computer is typically operable only on Apple Macintosh computers and would not be operable on a computer running LINUX. The same may also be true for the data stored by the various programs, as the data is generally not interchangeable among different platforms. Thus, if one wanted to share programs and data among various incompatible platforms, for example exchanging data regarding a particular item, the programs and data were first converted to be operable on the platforms.
In the past, data has been stored and maintained on various different platforms. For example, certain entities use systems based on Microsoft technology, such as Windows NT, Internet Information Services (“IIS”), or Component Object Model (“COM”). Other entities may use systems based on a UNIX platform, such as those developed by Sun Microsystems, using programs such as WebSphere Application Server (“WAS”) and programming languages such as JAVA®. In certain situations, a single organization may use two different platforms (e.g., different divisions of a single organization may use different platforms). In other situations, an organization may wish to share data and programs with another organization, which uses a different platform.
With the recent proliferation of the use of the Internet and the corresponding growth in connectivity between computers, it has become more desirable to share data and programs among variously distributed locations. Of particular interest is the ability to access various pieces of information through an Internet interface, even when the data and programs containing the information were created for incompatible platforms. In the past, there have been tools used to convert programs such that they are operable on other platforms. However, such tools tended to be cumbersome, expensive, and wasteful in the use of computing resources. Therefore, there is a need for a tool that allows the use of various programs and data across various platforms.